Mine car



Sept. 17, 1935. H. P. FIELD MINE CAR v Filed Oct. 20, 1951 s Sheets-Sheet 1 rrammr Patented Sept. 17 1935- UNITED STA S PATENT OFFICE- VMINE can Henry P. Field, Berwick, Pa assignor to American Car and Foundry Company,- New Yor N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 20, 1931, Serial No. 569,937 25 Claims. (01.105-364) may be quickly and conveniently assembled 'cornplete with axles and wheels. A further object is to provide'a particularly durable car offering a high resistanceto the severe 15 strains associated with the operation of mine cars. Other objects will appear from the following v description of the construction and operation of I this improved mine car.

The invention accordingly consists in-the vari- 20 ous features of construction, combinationsof elements-and arrangements of parts which are exemplified by the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims. 25 Referring now to the drawings, wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments of the v invention Figs. 1 and 2 conjointly represent amine car in longitudinal section; in Fig. l the section is 30 taken along the median line and in Fig. 2 along the line 2-2 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a view in cross-section taken on the line 35 4-4 of Fig. 3; and

Preferably these are rolled .metal bulb-angles .comprising webs l2 developing at their upper extremities into beads or heads l3. As these bulbangles are arranged in the'present construction 45 lower horizontal flanges l4 extend inwardly to-' ward the center line of the body. v Secured to the flanges l4 asby riveting or welding are bail-shaped members I5 having horizontal flanges l6, supported on the sill'flanges 50 14; upright portions l1 and horizontal flooring portions [8. Preferably three of these members l5 are employed as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, there being one section between the car axles and one between each car axle and its cor.-

155 responding end. These members constitute what termed herein the central flooring which is completed by axle hoods or shrouds I 9 riveted to the horizontal flooring portions l8 and also to p the uprights ll, of the floor. members l5.

To the outer faces of the web l2 of the sills 5 l0 and II the upright flange of sheet metal side floor sheet members 20 are attached as by rivets I 2|. The uprightflange of these members depends from the sills tothe angle point 22 where a hori- 'zontal floor 23 extends outwardly thereby pro- 10 viding what are termed hereinside floor portions.

. In the present form of the invention there are three of the floor sheet members 2|] on each side of the car, these being spaced apart at their ends to accommodate the car wheels.

Spaced outwardly from the supporting sills l0 and II are sheet metal side walls 24. These walls extend substantially higher than the plane of the top of the sills and have rolled-over edges 25' for strengthening purposes. The side walls also extend lower than the plane'of the bottom of the sills, their lowermost extremities 26 having turned-in flanges 21 which are overlapped by the horizontal web portion or side flooring 23 and secured in overlapped relation. 25 End walls 230i similar construction-to the side walls and located in'substantially'the same hori- I zontal plane are joined to the side walls by suitable angle irons at the corners. The end walls 28 are also joined to the sills l0 and H by angle 30 irons 3| and are joined to.the central flooring by angle members 32.

To further increase the sturdiness of the car the upright flanges H of the central flooring members ii are connected to the upright webs of the side flooring members 20 by Z-shaped members 33. These members definitely space the upright webs of the central and side floorings and resist lading and operating strains.

Each of the axle hoods l9 consists of a bailshaped member 34 having a top horizontal web 35 with end extensions 36 which overlap the inwardly extending flanges ll of the sills and .are preferably welded thereto. Downwardly extending webs 31 of the axle hoods have outwardly turned flanges 38 which overlap the ends of the horizontal central floor sections 18 and are secured thereto as by rivets 40 thereby connecting said floor sections. These axle hoods also have outwardly turned flanges 4| extending vertically and attached to the upright webs l'l of the central floor portions I5. The construction de- -seribed provides a complete and continuous central floor portion supported primarily by the lonaccommodation of axles as will appear presently more in detail.

Wheel hoods 50, preferably of sheet metal, are arranged between each of the sill members it! and II and its corresponding side wall 24. Each of the hoods has a substantially curved body portion 5| with corresponding outwardly turned flange 52 and inwardly turned flange 53. The flange 52 abuts the side wall of the car and is riveted thereto. Flange 53 abuts a filler 53 which is interposed between said flange and the sill 10 or H, as the case may be, and is secured to the filler and to the sill by the rivets 2!. The wheel hoods 50 also have out-turned flanges 5 6 at the bottom which overlap the horizontal floor portions 23 at their ends adjacent the axle and are riveted in overlapping relation. This construction employs the wheel hoods as substantial means to assist in carrying the side walls and side floor sheets and presents continuous side flooring from end to end of the car, there being, however, indentations from the bottom upward to accommodate the wheels at the ends of the axles.

The structure as thus far described is composed of sheet metal and commercially rolled shapes and forms a mine car so constructed and reinforced as to be capable of resisting all of the ordinary strains of lading and operation. In completing the assembly cast axle seats or pedestals 55 are secured to the sills l0 and H, respectively, the attachment being preferably to the bottom face of the inwardly extending flanges i l of the sills by means of rivets 56. These pedestals are in the transverse plane of the axle hoods i9 and have flanges 5T registering opposite the outwardly turned flanges of the axle hoods and joined thereto by rivets 58 which pass through the flanges of the pedestals, the flanges ll of centrm floor portions l5 and the overlapping flanges of the axle hoods l9 whereby the load is transmitted to the pedestals and thence to the axles of the car.

The axle receiving means or pedestals are preferably characterized by an inverted U-shaped,

opening 60 whereby an axle 6| may be introduced to and associated with the car body by a straight transverse relative movement as distinguished from an axial or longitudinal insertion of the axle. When the axles are so associated they are located in position in seats 62 of the pedestals and held against dislocation by pins 53 passed through the lower portion of the pedestals and removably secured therein by cotter pins 64. Each of the axles is equipped at either end with wheels 65 which may be mounted with antifriction bearings 66 or in any other suitable way to rotate on the axles.

It is to be noted that the pedestals are arranged preferably below the longitudinal sills and no weakness of the sills is effected in the present construction by reason of the cutting of slots or apertures for the reception of the axles. When the body and wheeled axles are assembled the plane of the axle is below the sills yet substantially higher than the central and side flooring. This, without weakening the body frame construction, lowers the center of gravity of the load with respect to the track upon which the car runs. It also provides a car of high lading capacity yet with side walls lowered so that the tops thereof are easily accessible from the ground. The'body is given highly increased sturdiness by reason of the curved wheel hoods and the angular axle hoods and the means of locating and attaching same with respect to the sills, the flooring and the side walls. Also the Z angle ties 33 serve with the axle hoods and wheel hoods to strengthen the body to resist the lading and operating strains without materially increasing the weight The car is further provided with end bumpers l0 and ll. These are substantially alike except for minor details of construction and only one will be described. The end wall 28 is terminated at 1'2 slightly above the flooring portions i5 and 23 allowing for the introduction of a lower horizontal flange 13 of a Z-shaped end sill l4 having an upright web 15 and an upper horizontally extending flange 16. This flange is centrally reinforced by a plate 71 and this reinforced portion is apertured to receive a coupling pin 18. A wood bumper filler 19 has its rear face abutting the front face of the vertical web 15. The bumper has upper and lower metal clamping plates and 8!, respectively, the upper plate having an upturned flange 82 which abuts the web 15 of the end sill and is connected thereto by rivets which pass through the flange 82, web '15 and the end wall 28. The lower plate 8| has an extended flange 82' which laps the flooring and is secured thereto and to the flange 13 at 83. The assembly of bumper filler I9 and upper and lower plates is embraced for a portion of its width by a channel-shaped end member 84 which is secured in position by bolts 85 passing through the horizontal extensions of the member 84 and through the clamping plates and the bumper filler. This assembly is also recessed at 85 to receive the coupling pin 18.

Obviously this bumper construction has an effect toward increasing the rigidity and sturdiness of the car but it will be seen that the bumper construction does not necessarily enter into the invention in many of its broader aspects as the car is complete and rigidly self-sustaining in assembly with its axles irrespective of the bumper construction just previously described.

Commercial embodiments of a preferred form of the invention present the plane of the wall-tops approximately two feet from the track rails and the plane of the side floorings less than four inches from the track rails. It is obvious that in case of need the axles with their supporting wheels can be removed by jacking up the car body and removing the pins 63. The removal may be effected without disturbing the roller bearing adjustment and assembly of wheels and axles. In original construction the axles are dropped into the pedestals 55 of the car when the latter is in bottom up position.

What is claimedis:

1. In a mine car, a body having side and end walls and side sills, axles arranged in a plane wholly below the side sills, a flooring located below the sills and axles and extending outwardly beyond the plane of the ends of the axles, and housings over the axles secured to the flooring.

2. In a mine car, longitudinal sills, pedestals secured to and depending from said sills, central and side flooring supported by the sills and arranged in a horizontal plane below the latter, axles arranged in the pedestals and positioned above the general plane of the flooring and wholly below the side sills, said side flooring extending transversely of the car beyond the plane of the ends of the axles, and means in the lower portions of the pedestals for retaining the axles against displacement.

3. In a mine car, a plurality of axles, longitudinal side sills arranged in a horizontal plane wholly above the axles, side walls spaced outwardly from the side sills, axle pedestals secured below the sills, and flooring suspended from the sills;

the pedestals having open lower portions and the flooring having axle hoods in transverse alinement with the pedestals-and connected'thereto. and forming therewith a plurality of channels above the flooring. I

' 4. Ina mine car, longitudinal sills, side walls for the reception of thesaid axles in a plane spaced-outwardly from the sills, end walls con 'necting the side walls, central flooring suspended firom thesills, axle pedestals secured to the sills,

side flooring depending from the sillsand extend ingto the. side walls in substantially the plane .of the central flooring, said side and central flooring being apertured to receive wheeled axles, and

a plurality of wheeled axles arranged in the pedestals and positioned above thegeneral plane of the side and centralflooring and below the sills. 3

5. In a mine car, a plurality of axles having wheels, a body having side and end walls and a flooring joined with said walls, axle hoods and wheel hoods on the flooring, side sills, axle pedes tals secured to the side sills and having their the sills and the walls lower portions apertured to receive the axles in a plane above the general plane of the flooring and wholly below the side 'sil I 6. In amine car,'a plurality of axles having wheels, a body comprising spaced parallel longitudinal sills, sheet metal side walls spaced outwardly from and extending higher and lower than the horizontalplane of said sills, flooring between said sills'and outwardly of. the sills extending to the lower extremities of the walls,

hoods associated with the flooring adapted to re-- ceive the axles and wheels; the plane of the axle axis being higher than the plane of the said wall extremities and lower than the plane of said sil-ls.- v

7. In a mine car, longitudinal spaced parallel bulb angle sills, side walls outwardly spaced from in the pedestals, flooring portions between the sills and-between the sills and the walls arranged in a general plane below the axle, wheel hoods. joining portions of said flooring", and axlehoods joining portions of said flooring.

9. In a mine car, longitudinal spaced parallel bulb angle sills, side walls outwardly spaced from' and parallel with. said si1ls,'end walls connecting with said side walls and said sills, open lower-end axle pedestals adaptedto support said sills, wheel equipped axles located in the pedestals, flooring portions between the sills and between the sills and the walls arranged'in a gen-j eral plane below the axle, and wheel hoods set between the sills and side walls and securedthereto and to the flooring. v

10. In a mine car, substantially vertical side and end walls of sheet metal, a pair of longitudinal sills between the walls and substantially higher than the plane of the lower extremities thereof, central flooring connecting the sills, side flooring connecting the sills and. the lower extremities of the walls, and axle receiving means adapted to support-said sills having seats in a 5 plane higher than that of the'central and side flooring. I

11 In amine car, substantially vertical side and end walls'o f sheet metal, a pair of longitudinal sills between the walls and substantially 1 higher than the lower extremities thereof, central. flooring connecting the sills, side 'flooring connecting the sills and the lower extremities of the walls, axle receiving means supporting said sills having seats in a plane higher than the cen- 15 tral and side fiooring,- wheel hoods on the side flooring, and axle hoods on the central flooring. 12. A mine car comprising spaced parallel bulb angle sills having inwardly extending lower flanges, central flooring secured to and extending in .a plane below said sills, axle hoodson said flooring, side flooring secured to and extending outwardly in a-plane below said sills, side walls having lower extremities joining. with the'side flooring, and wheel hoods on said side flooring between the sills and the sidewalls; said wheel hoods having points of attachment to the sills, the side wallsand the side flooring. 13. A mine car comprising spaced parallel longitudina'l sills, side and end walls extending 3 higher and lower than .theIplane of said sills,

central and side flooring portions hung from the.

sills-and axlereceiving members; the flooring and axle receiving members being recessed upwardly to receive and seat axles substantially above the. general plane of the central and side flooring and substantially below the sills.

14. 'A mine 'car, spaced parallel longitudinal sills, side and end walls extending higher and lower than the plane of said sills, central andside 40 flooring portions hung from thesills, axle receiving members; the flooring-and axle receiving- :members being open to receive and seataxles.

substantially above the general plane of the central and side flooring and substantially below the sills, wheel hoods attached to the side 'flooring between the sill and the side walls, and axle hoods depending from the sills and attached to the central flooring.

15. In 'a mine car, a pair of 'spaced'parallel 5 longitudinal bulb angle sills, axle receiving members secured to said sills and extending therebelow, axles in'said members, central floor portions secured to said sills and extending horizon- 'tally' below the plane of the axles, side walls spaced outwardly from said sills, endfwallsjoining .said side walls, and side floor portions connecting said sills with the lower extremities of said side walls and extending horizontally lower than the. plane of the axles and beyond the ends thereof. v 16. In. a mine car,'a-pair of spaced parallel longitudinal bulb angle sills, axle receiving members secured to said sills and extending therebelow, axles insaid members, central floor portions secured to saidsills and extending hori-' zontally lower than the plane of the axles, side walls spaced outwardly from said sills, end walls joining saidside walls, side floor portions connecting said sills with the 'lower' extremities of, said side walls and extending horizontally lower than the plane of the axles and beyond the ends thereof, and wheel hoods'in thespace between and attached to the side walls and adjacent sills. 1'7. In a mine car, a pair of spaced longitudinal sills, a channel shaped member connecting said sills providing a central flooring, side flooring having flanges secured to said sills, and axle pedestals in the space between the central and side flooring members and secured to the under side of the sills, said pedestals having axle hearing portions arranged in a plane above the side flooring.

18. In a mine car, a pair of spaced longitudinal sills, a channel shaped member connecting said sills providing a central flooring, side flooring arranged in substantially the same plane as the central flooring and provided with upwardly extending flanges secured to said sills, and axle pedestals in the space between the central and. side flooring members and secured to the under side of the sills; said pedestals having open lower portions for the reception of an axle.

19. In a mine car, a lading holding body including a central lading supporting bottom and wheel recessed side floor portions, longitudinally extending body stiifeners projecting into the lading zone of the car and arranged in a plane spaced a substantial distance above but connected with the central lading bottom and side floor portions, and axles below the body stiifeners by which said body is supported.

20. In a mine car, a lading holding body including a central lading supporting bottom and wheel recessed side floor portions, axles arranged in a plane spaced a substantial distance above the central lading bottom and side floor portions, and longitudinally extending body stifleners wholly above the axles, said stiffeners projecting into the lading zone of the car and being spaced above but connected with the central lading bottom and side floor portions.

21. In a mine car, a body comprising side and end walls and sill members extending from end wall to end wall, a central lading bottom suspended from said sill members, and side floor portions extending from the sill members to the side walls and suspended from said sill members,

the eifective lading supporting portions of said central lading bottom and side floor portions being spaced a substantial distance below the sill members.

22. In a mine car, a body comprising side and end walls and sill members extending from end wall to end wall, axles by which the body is supported, a central lading bottom suspended below said sill members and arranged in a plane below the axles, and side floor portions extending from the sill members to the side walls and being suspended in a plane spaced below said sill members. 23. In a mine car, a car body comprising a floor arranged in substantially a uniform horizontal plane from side to side and end and side walls extending upwardly from the floor, a pair of sill members extending from end to end of the car body in inwardly spaced relation to the side walls and in upwardly spaced relation to the bottom, and vertically extending stiffener members secured to the end walls and to said sill members.

24. In a mine car, a plurality of axles, longitudinal side sills arranged in a horizontal plane wholly above the axles, side walls spaced outwardly from the side sills, axle pedestals secured to the lower portions of said sills and depending from the latter, and flooring suspended from the sills and connected with the pedestals, the pedestals having open lower 'portions and the flooring having axle hoods in transverse aline- 30 ment with the pedestals and connected thereto and forming therewith a. plurality of channels spaced respectively longitudinally of the car adapted to receive said axles in a plane above the flooring.

' 3 25. In a mine car, side sills and a lading bot- 5 tom therebetween formed of a plurality of spaced units substantially straight from end to end and having angle-shaped flanges along their side edge portions connected to and resting on the sills, and axle housings between adjacent units connected thereto and to the side sills.

HENRY P. FIELD. 

